HC Deb 04 December 1980 vol 995 cc143-4W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will circulate in the Official Report a table showing the approximate percentage increase in wages and salaries in the Civil Service compared with wages and salaries generally since 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1975.

Employees in manufacturing: changes from 1970
Q2 1979 Q2 1980
Approximate numbers (thousands) Percentage Approximate numbers (thousands) Percentage
France* -100 -2 -200 -4
Germany (Federal Republic) -1,200 -14 -1,100 -13
Japan*† -600 -4 -200 -2
United States +1,800 +9 +900 +5
United Kingdom -1,200 -14 -1,600 -19
* Not seasonally adjusted.
† Including self-employed.

Sources: OECD—Main Economics Indicators Labour Force Statistics.

ILO—Bulletin of Labour Statistics.

Mr. Jim Lester

The following table is based on changes in average weekly earnings of adults reported in the new earnings surveys between 1970 and 1980. Comparable information for earlier periods is not available.

Average gross weekly earnings of adults in full-time employment whose pay was not affected by absence
Percentage increase between April 1970 and April 1980 Percentage increase between April 1975 and April 1980
Men aged 21 and over:
Non-industrial civil service* 298 123
All industries and services 315 105
Women aged 18 and over:
Non-industrial civil service* 343 131
All industries and services 383 111
* Employees covered by the Civil Service National Whitley Council. The figures for April 1980 used in these calculations include the effect of the April 1980 pay settlement which this year did not become operative until 7 May. The figures for April 1975 used in these calculations do not reflect in full the 1975 pay settlement which involved a change in the settlement date and was delayed until after the survey period.

Changes in average weekly earnings will reflect factors other than changes in basic rates of pay, such as changes in overtime working, payments from incentive and bonus schemes, and changes in the structure of employment. Also, changes in average earnings of women aged 18 and over, over the past decade, will reflect in part the gradual implementation of equal pay provisions which might affect some groups of employees at an earlier stage than others.